This paper aims to explore how gendered task allocation contributes to workplace inequality, moving beyond the inclusion/exclusion dichotomy. Using a longitudinal study of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professionals, it shows how gendered task distribution caused project delays and group failure. By challenging essentialist views, it highlights how patriarchal structures in task allocation perpetuate inequality in professional settings and stresses the need to address practices that sustain male dominance and impact outcomes.
Drawing on observation of interactions among members of a work group, this study investigates how tasks were allocated along gender lines. By looking at the status of tasks (“expert” or “menial”) we are able to see how a patriarchal regime is produced and reproduced in the group, reinforcing gendered power dynamics within the group. Unlike existing literature that suggests tasks are allocated based on efficiency, this research explores task distribution as a tool for maintaining patriarchal hierarchies.
Men resisted taking on “menial” tasks, which would place them in supportive roles, particularly in relation to women, leading to what we term “gender trouble.” This resistance was driven not just by gender stereotypes but, we suggest, by reflexive or unreflexive efforts to maintain patriarchal power structures. While this study focuses on STEM, these dynamics may also be present in other male-dominated fields, such as accounting. The study highlights how task allocation practices reinforce male superiority and impact overall group performance.
The paper’s originality lies in understanding gendered task allocation not as a question of “fit” between tasks and expertise or stereotypically masculine or feminine traits but instead as one that maintains male superiority consistent with underlying patriarchal structures. Our analysis extends our understanding of how gender dynamics shape work organization and power relations in male-dominated professions.
